Images of the Cathedral, Monreale, Sicily, begun 1174. Digital Imaging Project: Art historical images of European and North American architecture and sculpture from classical Greek to Post-modern. Scanned from slides taken on site by Mary Ann Sullivan, Bluffton College.

Cathedral (Santa Maria la Nuovo)

begun 1174

The Normans conquered Sicily from about 1061 to 1091. This cathedral was built at the order of William II. Like the mixture of cultures in Sicily itself, this church, sometimes called "Sicilian Romanesque," also reflects varied influences: Norman (the style of the most recent conqueror), Byzantine, and Islamic. (See also the Cefalù Cathedral.) While the front of the church (not pictured) is more restrained with two towers and an arched portico, the three apses at the end of the Latin-cross plan are a riot of design. Pointed arches from the Islamic tradition, Norman interlaced pointed arches in patterns, and Byzantine polychrome mosaic designs decorate the surfaces. The interior walls of the Cathedral are totally decorated with mosaics.
The three apses

The main portal
The door jambs are decorated in vertical bands with carving, mosaic friezes, and zig-zag ornament. The whole is framed with a marble design of acanthus leaves. The door consists of 42 panels, signed by Bonanno of Pisa (who designed doors at Pisa 6 years earlier), and dated (1186). The panels depict events from the Old and New Testament.

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Copyright © Mary Ann Sullivan. I have photographed (on site), scanned, and manipulated all the images on these pages. Please feel free to use them for personal or educational purposes. They are not available for commercial purposes.

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The Normans conquered Sicily from about 1061 to 1091. This cathedral was built at the order of William II. Like the mixture of cultures in Sicily itself, this church, sometimes called "Sicilian Romanesque," also reflects varied influences: Norman (the style of the most recent conqueror), Byzantine, and Islamic. (See also the Cefalù Cathedral.) While the front of the church (not pictured) is more restrained with two towers and an arched portico, the three apses at the end of the Latin-cross plan are a riot of design. Pointed arches from the Islamic tradition, Norman interlaced pointed arches in patterns, and Byzantine polychrome mosaic designs decorate the surfaces. The interior walls of the Cathedral are totally decorated with mosaics. The three apses


		The main portal The door jambs are decorated in vertical bands with carving, mosaic friezes, and zig-zag ornament. The whole is framed with a marble design of acanthus leaves. The door consists of 42 panels, signed by Bonanno of Pisa (who designed doors at Pisa 6 years earlier), and dated (1186). The panels depict events from the Old and New Testament.